Koch Palace

Palazzo Koch, located on Via Nazionale in Rome, is an imposing neorenaissance-style building that serves as the headquarters of the Bank of Italy. The construction of the palace, designed by architect Gaetano Koch, began in 1888 and was completed in 1892. The palace is named after its designer and is a representative example of Umbertino style, characterized by the use of Renaissance elements revisited with nineteenth-century taste. The building measures 109 meters by 60 and spans five floors, including two underground levels. The main facade is made of travertine marble and features a combination of the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders. Two symmetrical entrances on Via Nazionale allow access, although currently only one is used. Palazzo Koch is designed around two inner courtyards. The Cortile d’Onore, located to the west, displays the three classical orders on its facades and houses a niche with a bust of architect Koch. This courtyard is connected to the adjacent building, which formerly housed the banknote printing workshop, through an arch leading to a fountain topped by a statue of Antinous dating back to the time of Emperor Hadrian. One of the most fascinating rooms is the Sala della Lupa, which contains a copy of the Capitoline Wolf and provides access to the grand Scalone d’Onore. This staircase, over three meters wide and without central supports, leads to the noble first floor, where numerous spaces representative of the Bank of Italy are located. These rooms are enriched with Murano glass chandeliers, marble floors, sumptuous portals, and silk tapestries. The Sala dei Partecipanti, located in the center of the facade facing Via Nazionale, is a vast room of over 300 square meters that annually hosts the assembly of the Bank of Italy shareholders and the Governor’s speech. This space, like many others in the palace, is adorned with valuable works of art, including European statues and paintings from the 16th to the 19th century, as well as oriental pieces such as Chinese lions from the Han and Wei dynasties, Cambodian Buddha heads, and Indian and Persian artifacts. In addition to its main function as the headquarters of the Bank of Italy, the palace also houses the Paolo Baffi Library and the Coin Museum, which preserve documents and artifacts of great importance for the country’s economic history. The library, named after one of the most influential governors of the Bank of Italy, is a research and study center for economists and historians.